Buffer or bumper for automobiles



Au 9A 1927.

g f F. MISCHE ET Al.'

BUFFER 0R BUMPER FOR AUTOMOBILES 'Filed Mar'on 2e, 1927 FRHNK KHRL RUEUHITSEH wml y'mzug Patented Aug. 9, 19.27.

FRANK IVIISCHE AND KARL ROSCHITSCH', OF CLEVELAND, QHIIO.

BUFFER OR BUMPER FOR AUTOMOBTLES.

Application filed March 26, 1927. Serial No. l8,550.r

Our invemionrelates o automobile bufftween two sets of clamping members. Thus ers or bumpers, and in general our object is to provide means for relieving and absorbing the shocks sustained' by a buffer or bumper of the cross rail type such as commonly used at the front and rear ends of an automobile. Usually such biunpersl are rigidly secured to an automobile frameby means of brackets, and in meeting an object the impact or blow is delivered-to and absorbed by the bumper rails, whichmay be tubular and rigid, or made of spring steel bars to afford a given amount of resiliency. Vfhile any part of the bumper may be engaged and affected it happens that the end portions of the bumper come into contact more frequently with other bumpers or objects than the middle area, especially in parking a vehicle and in avoiding` collisions with other vehicles going in the same direction. lille have therefore devised a bumper and a mounting therefor which will permit the opposite ends of the bumper to yield or surrender independently in substantial degree', depending upon which end portion. or half of the bumper is struck, and which will also permit the entire bumper to yield when it strikes at its middle, but such yield or surrender is always opposed by a braking effect adapted to absorb the shock inmaterial degree. 'Briefly stated, each end of the bumper is supported and controlled by an independent shock-absorbing device, preferably a friction brake or snubber embodyingr springs, all as hereinafter shown and deH scribed and more particularly pointed out in the claims. A y i ln the accompanying` drawing, Fig, l is a top View of one end of an automobile, showing our improved bumper mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is a sectional View and elevation, enlarged, of the bumper and one of its shock absorbing and supporting parts. Fig. 3 is a cross section of the shock absorber on line 23e-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. el is a front view of one half of the bumper on the same scale as shown in Fig. l.

As shown the bumper proper is a spring bar bumper A comprising parallel front bars 2 2 and a bowed rear bar 3 afiiXed to the opposite ends and middle thereof. This special formation of bumper is not essential to the present invention but is merely an eX- emplification of one type of bar bumper which which may be used wherein a pair of front bars 2,-.-2 may be rigidly secured beeach setvmay comprise two clamping plates rid l5, respectively, fastened together by a y bolt or screw 6, see Fig, 2. Rear plate 5 possesses rearwardly extending ears 7 which Yare pivotallyconnected by a verticalbolt 8 to the front end of a bifurcated part or open frame 9 which is secured by a nut lO'to the reduced front end ll of a rack bar l2. Rear fi# bar S of the bumper extends through open frame 9 and is clamped by a set screw la between two anti-friction balls l5l5 seated on opposite sides of the bar within the 'outer end of connecting end ll and the inner end of set screw la. Thus when bumper flexed at either end or its middle the rear bar may shift or move in respect to supporting member 9, and flexing of the front bars is permitted, by pivot bolt 8 at the front end of saidmembcr 9L llach rack bar l2 is slidably supported within its own housing or casing l5 and these casings are secured by hook bolts l@ or other means to the side members ofthev chassis frame B. An olfset chamber in each casing l5 contains a gear 17 i'iXed to a short shaft haring'rotatablebearing in the side wall of the casing and in a cover plate i9. I Gear 17 is in constant mesh with the teeth 20 of rack bar l2, and the inner coil of a flat spiral spring 21 is attached to shaft i8 while the outer coil of this springI is coniected to a bolt or pin 22 inside of casing l5. A brakelining or `interlayer 23 of woven ,E textile material, leather or the like is .voun'd within one or more coils ofthe flat spring to produce a snubbing or braking effect on the gear during the rearward travel of the rack bar, thereby supplementing the resistance of 9. the spring as it i being wound by the move y ment of the rack bar and gear. A s the coils tighten the braking effect of the snubber interlayer 23 gradually increases thereby building up an increasing resistance at the bumper as it is forced rearwardly. The d ual spring and snubber or brake action is therefore quite effective in protecting the car and it is also of advantage in protecting the bumper itself, especially when the ends of the bumper are pivotally connected to the rack bar or its front frame or extension as in the present instance.- Thus, when the car is parked at a curb closely to another car which is being moved from its position the end of the present bumper may be engaged by another bumper or part on the other car and caused to yield without permanently bending or damaze-ing,` the bumper.

:in lieu ot using a snubber spring` such as described we may employ some other' form ot braking device, to resist the movement of the rack bar in one direction and work i'reely and responsively under spring action in the opposite or resetting direction. Gther changes in other parts of the device might also be made and mechanical equivalents employed without materially atlecting` the in-` vention set forth in the following claims.

7What we claim, is

l. butter or bumper for automobiles, comprising` means for supporting` the main bumper elements, including spring` controlled rack and gear mechanism adapted to yieldingly resist rearward movement ot' the bumper.

2. fr butler or bumper for automobiles, comprising' a main bumper body, and spring controlled rack and gear mechanism pivotally connected to and adapted to support the opposite ends of said bumper body 'for independent rearward movement.

3. A buffer or bumper for automobiles, comprising` a main impact receiving body, and a set ol" spring controlled rack and gear devices pivotally connected to said body and adapted to support the same tor independent yielding' movement at its opposite ends upon a vehicle frame.

4. A butter or bumper for automobiles, comprising,r a main impact member. and a pair ot' spring-controlled friction-bralnng` devices adapted to support said member yieldingly upon a vehicle body.

5. A butter or bumper for automobiles, comprising a main impact member, means for supporting; said member in a. yielding` position upon one end of a vehicle frame, means comprisingv springs adapted to press said member forwardly, and friction means connected with said sprinos adapted to resist orced movement of said member rearwardly toward said Vehicle frame.

6. A buffer or bumper for automobiles,

compri-fing` a main bumper member, and means adapted to support said member in a horizontally movable position upon the end of a vehicle trame, including rack bars and gears and spiral spriir s adapted to be placed under tension by rotatabio movement oit said gears.

7. A butter or bumper for auton'iobiles. comprisilng` a main bun'iper member, rack bars adapted to support said member, gears engaged with said rack bars, and coiled springs and snubbing' elements cooperatingl therewith adapted to control the movement ot said bars with braking' ettect.

S. A butter or bumper Jfor automobiles, comprising; an impact member-.a sneportingl device having pivotal connection with said impact member, a rack bar extending 'from said device, a casing;` adapted to support said bar tor slidable movement, a gear within said casing' engaged with said rack bar,l and a coiled spring` in tension connection with said gear.

9. A butler or bumper lor automobiles, comorisirnql tront and rear bars, a clamping device tor the front bar, a supporting` mem ber pivotally connected to said device adapted to confine the rear bar movably therein, a set screw carried by said member opposite said rear bar, and balls on opposite sides ot said rear bar held in place by said set screw.

l0. A buffer' or bumper tor automobiles, comprising a iront impact bar and a bowed rear bar, supporting members for said bar. haring` pivotal connection with the front bar, the rear bar being tree to move at each end in respect to said members, rack bars extending rearwardly from said members, supporting casings for said rack bars containing gears z nd spring, and means adapted to secure said casings to the side members oit an automobile frame. y

ln testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures.

FRANK lniiSCl-IE. KARL RSCHTSCH. 

